Kia Orana “Hello”
Friday 4th November 2016, James, myself and 3 other friends flew to Rarotonga on an evening flight with Air New Zealand. Our flight was 6 hours and 10 minutes which was enough time to catch a few hours sleep. I always recommend flying later in evening then you can sleep all the way through the flight.
We arrived into Rarotonga at 6.30am on Friday 4th, gaining a day.
Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook islands. It only takes 1 hour to drive around the island. Scuba diving and snorkeling are popular activities here.
The currency is New Zealand Dollar. No entry visa is required into Rarotonga, a valid passport and a return ticket will allow you up to 31 days stay.
1. Rent a House
Our pre-arranged bus transfer booked through our accommodation took us directly to the Heritage House in Arorangi. Arorangi is situated on the western side of the island which is the best side of the island to see sunsets. Arorangi has a couple of good restaurants and a convenience store 1 minute’s walk away from the Heritage house. Cocktails and late night swimming were fun in our private pool. It was nice to have our own privacy unlike at a resort.
http://www.rentraro.com/heritage.html#.WDqERoVOKiM
2. Aitutaki
A popular and beautiful lagoon accessible from Rarotonga via a 45 minutes flight. Unfortunately, we did not visit Aitutaki but I think it is a place that should be mentioned.
https://www.cookislands.travel/islands/aitutaki
3. Island Car Hire
A Cook Islands drivers licence is required, this can be obtained by conducting a theory and practical test at the Police Headquarters in Avarua.
To avoid disappointment, I suggest booking your car or scooter in advance. We tried to book on our first day and were initially told they were booked out but a lady from Island Car hire came to our house a couple of hours later offering us a compact vehicle. One definitely needs a car or a scooter to get around the island. There is a bus service but I hardly saw it running and always saw people patiently waiting at the bus stop in town. Scooters are pretty popular on the island but be wary of the excess and ensure you are able to manage a scooter.
http://www.islandcarhire.co.ck/
4. Punanga Nui Markets
The markets are open from 8am – 12pm on Saturdays only. The approximate time spent at the markets is between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, it just depends on what interests you. I really enjoyed the markets for sarongs, t-shirts, trinkets and gorgeous flower dresses. I bought a short summer dress with flowers for $35.00 NZD = $32 AUD. The market also sells hot food, beverages, fresh fruits and vegetables. Some of those wooden trinkets may be cheaper in souvenir stores but I like to support the locals at the markets.
5. CITC Pharmacy
The CITC Pharmacy appears to have everything and is also a good place for souvenirs.
6. Black Rock
Black Rock has plenty of sea life and is a good location for snorkeling. The beach is quiet and the water crystal clear.
7. Kayak Kiteup for kayaking, paddleboard, kite surf and windsurf hire
James and I hired a double kayak, Andy a single kayak and Lesley and Andrew hired paddle boards from Kayak Kiteup in Muri Beach. Our Kayak from Kiteup Kayak cost $30 nzd= $15 Aud. James and I enjoyed our 2 hour kayak and saw a group of flying fish a couple of times and heaps of sea life around Muri Beach.
8. Muri Beach
Muri Beach is nice but not for snorkeling. Great location to do kayaking, paddle boarding, kite surfing and windsurfing only. You will also find a couple of restaurants and a stretch of resorts around this location.
9. Raro Buggy
I highly recommend hiring a buggy, it is a fun experience with a cheerful crew. The tour takes you to a local coconut oil factory where you learn about the process and can also purchase coconut oil products, drive through the deserted Sheraton property, have a few rounds with a golf club at a local driving range and drive to Wigmore Waterfall. The tour is great and worth experiencing except I found Wigmore Waterfall to be quite underwhelming and lots of mosquitos around. Make sure to bring insect repellent. The tour ends with a great meal at The Mooring Cafe. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour.
http://www.rarobuggytours.com/
10. Aroa Lagoon Marine Reserve
The Aroa Lagoon Marine Reserve is a few steps away from The Rarotonga Beach and Spa Resort where a friend of ours was staying. This location is a great spot for swimming, snorkeling, stand-up paddleboard or kayaking. There is a lot of sea life here but be wary of the trigger fish who do not particularly care for snorkelers and will not hesitate to bite you if you are in their territory. Our friend Andrew was bitten and that was enough for me to get out of the water. Scary looking fish. The water is a gorgeous crystal blue and I think you will love it here just don’t annoy a trigger fish.
http://www.therarotongan.com/about-us/aroa-marine-reserve.htm
11. Shopping
The grocery shopping is very expensive in the Cook Islands. Groceries at CITC Supermarket is cheaper than CITC Foodland which is near the CITC Pharmacy. We found CITC Supermarket the best store with more variety and a little more economical.
The Gift Shop is another great store for souvenirs.
12. Night Markets
The night markets open from 5 pm-8 pm Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The home cook meals looked amazing especially the desserts. To not miss out on a meal you like, I recommend arriving at the market 5 pm promptly. The markets are quite popular and it get’s very busy. There are communal tables you can sit at and I recommend bringing a bottle of wine or beer.
13. Needle Mountain
James, Lesley, Andrew and I climbed needle mountain and I hit my head on a fallen tree after ducking another one. Quite a bang it was too.The hike is 3 hours total and quite strenuous where you are required to use trees and branches to help you up and down the mountain. I would not recommend taking young children or attempt the walk if you have an injury or unfit. Even though it may have been hard at some stages, I was so thankfully I completed the hike and was amazed at the breathtaking view of Rarotonga from the top of the peak.
14. BCA Art Gallery
This historical building was once a LMS missionary school, now it is an art gallery, gift shop and has a courtyard cafe.
15. Dining recommendation
Salsa cafe – After an amazing hike, a well deserved coffee was in order. Coffee is good here. The menu looked good and staff appeared friendly. Only downfall no burgers.
Sands Restaurant at Muri Beach Club –Dinner was lovely here but the quantity is small like most of the restaurants on the island besides the burgers and the food at the Night Markets.
http://www.muribeachclubhotel.com/
Sea Salt – Late afternoon a lot of the restaurants were closed and the only place we found open was Sea Salt for fish, chips, burgers and wraps. The food was nice but I suggest planning your day better so you have more choices to choose from.
OB Restaurant at Manuia Hotel – James and I enjoyed brunch at OB restaurant. The service can be a tad slow but the staff were friendly and the location nice and quiet on the beach. I enjoyed morning coffees from here and the omelettes we ordered were delicious.
OB restaurant is 25 minutes walk from the Heritage House. One evening, our friend Sue who was also on the island with her family joined us for dinner. We walked along the beach and watch the sunset. We had a lovely setting, with a table on the beach. The quantity of food at dinner was small, the cocktails not so strong and dining very expensive, however, I can recommend dining here for breakfast or lunch. Our evening ended with the clouds clearing after sunset and we star gazed from our table.
http://www.manuia.co.ck/rarotongan-beach-resort/restaurant-and-bar
The Mooring – The Raro buggy tour took us to The Mooring Fish Cafe by the seaside for lunch. You will not be disappointed here and the burgers are huge.
http://www.themooringfishcafe.com/
Trader Jacks – Our friends enjoyed their meals at Traders Jack and I thought the fish looked amazing wrapped in banana leaves.
http://traderjackscookislands.com/restaurant.htm
Vili’s Burgers –Down the road from Muri beach is Vili’s, we had the biggest and best hamburgers. I highly recommend you go with an empty tummy and get the fries. Price ranges from 7.50 NZD = $6.86 AUD.
James and I returned for a 2nd visit to Vili burgers after the Needle Mountain climb. I can recommend the Muri and Kuri burgers. And do not forget those fries.
Waterline Restaurant- We walked to dinner here on 2 occasions, the food and service were great here and it was a nice way to start our trip. I had the beef curry which was my favourite meal on the island.
http://waterline-restaurant.com/
Wilsons bar – Wilson’s is a 10 minutes walk away from The Heritage House and located at Castaway hotel. Wilsons bar gives the option of a cooked breakfast or a continental tropical breakfast. My friends all ordered a cooked breakfast and loved it. The only negative here is you have to make your own coffee from a percolator yet you can have as many coffees as you like if you have purchased breakfast. Not bad if you like a few coffees in the morning.
http://www.castawayvillas.com/restaurants-bars
16. Raro Party Bus
This is a fun experience with tourist and locals of different age groups. Ensure you book tickets in advance. The Raro party bus picked our group up at The Waterline Restaurant and our group were more on the sober side compared to a majority of the patrons already on the bus. I highly recommend doing this tour, it is a lot of fun and a safe way to get around the island at night.
We stopped at the following venues –
Vaima’s – A nice beachside restaurant bar.
http://www.vaimarestaurant.com/
High Tide bar – A local bar where bands play.
Hula bar – Beachfront bar with great music located at The Islander Hotel. I liked the bar area and outdoor setting on the beach, just ashame we did not get an opportunity to stay here long enough. I recommend a return visit on your own.
http://www.islanderhotel.co.ck/
Whatever Bar and Grill – Upstairs bar not far from Rehab, you can actually see Rehab from the verandah. Not here long enough but I liked the openness of the bar and the music.
https://www.facebook.com/Whatever-Bar-Grill-71523224868/
Rehab – Open spaced club with great music. Great place to end the night. You will enjoy your night here. Open late on Friday nights only.
The whole experience on the bus was quite funny and something none of our group had done. Was a fun way to spend our last evening in Rarotonga.
It was an amazing beach pad holiday with friends that I would recommend versus booking accommodation with a hotel. The freedom to do what you want and enjoy the privacy of your own pool and having the normal everyday facilities made the trip even better.
Please click on the following link for more information on Rarotonga and surrounding Cook Islands – https://www.cookislands.travel/page/visitor-information
christinetravels 
Great blog, this place looks amazing.
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Thanks Todd. Nice location to relax.
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